CENTEGIX | EDUCATION
MICHIGAN SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND REQUIREMENTS
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MICHIGAN IS INVESTING TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER
In 2018, Michigan’s School Safety Task Force issued a set of wide-ranging and far-reaching final recommendations for making Michigan public schools safer. Governor Rick Snyder created the School Safety Task Force to ” identify structural and policy recommendations for collaboration, planning, and assessment of school infrastructure and safety policies.” The Task Force recommended that Michigan schools do the following:
- Conduct physical security assessments.
- Implement interior and exterior security measures.
- Implement Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) training.
- Meet state compliance requirements.
- Integrate state guidance regarding emergency drills, definitions of terms, and threats of violence.
- Define the roles of safety personnel in schools.
- Adopt the OK2SAY program, which encourages students to report information about suspicious behaviors, bullying, suicide threats, anxiety, drugs, etc.
- Increase training for safety and security staff.
- Award schools that foster safe environments.
- Increase collaboration among public health experts and educators.
- Implement student behavioral health screenings.
These recommendations underscore Michigan lawmakers’ focus on school safety in recent years. These measures range from addressing behavioral health concerns to instituting school safety curricula to requiring secure infrastructure.
K-12 BEHAVIORAL THREAT ASSESSMENT TRAINING
In all of Michigan’s current and upcoming public school policies and legislation, focused attention on students’ mental health is a priority. Throughout 2022-23, the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety (MSP/OSS) is hosting Michigan K-12 Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (Mi-BTAM) training free of charge. This training is intended for school-based threat assessment teams in K-12 public, charter, and private schools. This training teaches teams to identify, engage, and work collaboratively with families and students to mitigate situational life factors contributing to thoughts of violence and aggression.
The Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management training enacts the School Safety Task Force’s mandate for behavioral health interventions. The training addresses topics including understanding school violence and implications for prevention, steps for developing and operating an effective school threat assessment program, and developing and implementing case management plans. Advanced training is available after the initial basic training is completed.
COMPETITIVE SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS SAFETY MEASURES
The 2022 Competitive School Safety Grant Program (CSSGP) funds measures that fulfill the School Safety Task Force’s Recommendations. The Michigan Legislature appropriated $10 for these measures. The Grants and Community Services Division (GCSD) of the Michigan State Police (MSP) awarded and administered these competitive grants. Eligible grantees included public schools, nonpublic schools, school districts, and intermediate school districts. These grants fund measures that improve the safety and security of students, staff, and school buildings. Specifically, the CSSGP supports purchasing safety and security technology and equipment. The program also provides funds for technology upgrades and improvements to existing systems.
Michigan legislators will continue to prioritize safety and security in schools. Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed increased funding for the 2022-23 fiscal year to $66 million in school safety grants. This number equals the total amount of funding for school safety distributed since 2015. According to Whitmer, “with this historic proposal and my larger education budget, which includes resources to improve every kid’s in-class experience, build and renovate school facilities, and retain and recruit more teachers, we will invest in every school and every district across Michigan.” School districts across the state will be eligible for this increased funding.
RECOMMENDED SAFETY MEASURES
In 2020, the US Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) convened a School Safety Working Group that identified ten essential actions schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies can take to mitigate and prevent school violence. COPS also recommended actions to facilitate swift and effective law enforcement assistance when it is necessary. The Michigan Office of School Safety highlights the role of School Resource Officers and collaboration with law enforcement as essential elements of its approach to making schools safer. COPS guidance regarding school safety measures, therefore, informs their recommendations.
The COPS School Safety Working Group’s “ten essential actions” address both the physical safety and the emotional security of students and staff members:
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- comprehensive school safety assessment
- school climate
- campus, building, and classroom security
- anonymous reporting systems
- coordination with first responders
- behavior threat assessment and management
- school-based law enforcement
- mental health resources
- drills
- social media monitoring
These actions suggest that a school building’s physical security is directly related to the school community’s health. Increasingly, education leaders are making the case for security as a prerequisite for a robust learning environment.
ALYSSA'S LAW AND SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES
Alyssa’s Law, named after Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff, aims to ensure that first responders can reach schools as quickly as possible, take down threats, and triage any victims. Alyssa’s Law seeks to decrease law enforcement response time when a life-threatening emergency occurs in a school. The law calls for installing silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement.
Alyssa’s Law was passed in New Jersey in 2019, Florida in 2020, and New York in 2022. It has also been proposed in Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, and other states. The makers of the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert school safety system incorporated feedback from Marjory Stoneman Douglas public safety commission representatives into the system’s product-level design. The system fulfills the mandate of Alyssa’s Law and similar legislation, including the school safety measures introduced by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
READY FOR NEXT STEPS?
HOW TO CHOOSE A SCHOOL SAFETY ALERT SYSTEM
Physical security measures can seem like a quick fix, but researchers have found that physical security is just one of the necessary components of school safety. A positive and supportive school climate is one of the most important parts of prevention, and school climate and physical security are directly related.
The Michigan Office of School Safety recommends purchasing school safety systems to foster a positive school climate. When discussing potential physical safety systems with vendors, a potential purchaser should ask these questions:
• Maintenance. What if the system malfunctions? Does it require a subscription? How burdensome is it to operate?
• Research. What data proves the system’s effectiveness? What do other clients report?
• Installation. How much construction is required? How disruptive is the installation process? What are the options for equipment placement?
• Satisfaction. What if the school is not satisfied with the product? Can the vendor share testimonials?
CENTEGIX CRISISALERT FULFILLS SAFETY MANDATES
The CENTEGIX CrisisAlert school safety system features the following elements, all of which fulfill the mandates of Alyssa’s Law:
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- a mobile panic alert system featuring 100% adopted, wearable security badges
- connections to diverse emergency services technologies
- real-time coordination between multiple first responder agencies, including county, local, and on-site responders
- integration with local public safety dispatchers to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations
CENTEGIX | EBOOK
Demonstrating Success in Education
CENTEGIX believes that school should be a place where students can learn and grow safely and with a sense of well-being. As the leader in discreet, wearable panic buttons, CENTEGIX contributes to school safety by providing instantaneous communication with first responders in the event of any threat to the health and safety of students and educators.
Learn how CrisisAlert has made a difference across the country in our ebook. Download your copy today →
HEAR FROM OUR EDUCATORS
CrisisAlert™ Provides Grant-Funded Safety Measures
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert is an emergency incident response system that features wearable panic buttons which generate accurate, usable data. The CrisisAlert school safety solution uses visual strobes, digital messages, and automated intercom announcements to inform everyone of a campus-wide incident and to instruct them on actions they should take. CrisisAlert meets the security infrastructure needs the Michigan school safety grants aim to address.
CrisisAlert features an analytics dashboard that assists administrators as they make safety and security decisions. A data set is generated when a staff member uses their wearable badge to call for assistance. Administrators can better understand where and why, and under what conditions. These administrative decisions, enabled by CrisisAlert data, contribute to the “positive and safe climate” that the safety grants aim to foster.
The CrisisAlert school safety solution provides robust and uninterrupted communication between staff members, administrators, first responders, and students. Unlike other emergency incident response systems, CrisisAlert’s technology precludes adoption and connectivity challenges. CrisisAlert runs on a dedicated IoT network; it’s not susceptible to wi-fi or cellular connectivity interruptions. And because the CrisisAlert mobile panic button is worn along with an ID badge, 100% of staff members use it. This high adoption rate means that every staff member at every location on campus can call for help when they need it. CrisisAlert generates accurate location data for every alert, no matter where on campus. Therefore first responders know exactly where to go during an emergency. In many instances, this kind of rapid response can prevent tragedy.
These critical features of the CrisisAlert badge from CENTEGIX ensure an immediate response:
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- Desktop takeover notifications for staff mean campus-wide alerts are never missed.
- Location accuracy enables rapid response.
- The system immediately connects the parties best prepared to handle the situation.
- Wifi and phone outages have no effect on the system.
- Wearable security badges are easily accessible, lightweight, and wearable.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert can help school districts and LEAs enact these measures, making students and staff safer. The CrisisAlert school safety solution helps create a climate of safety by enabling staff members to call for help instantly, from anywhere on campus, in any type of emergency. Under these conditions, teachers can focus on student needs, and students can focus on learning.
CENTEGIX is the leader in incident response solutions. Our CrisisAlert platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to call for help in any emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX creates safer spaces by innovating technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind. To learn more about CENTEGIX, visit www.centegix.com.
THE CRISISALERT ADVANTAGE: WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT
ONE BUTTON ACTIVATION
Wearable badge with a single button enables confident human action. Users are not required to download an app.
IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION
With the simple push of a button, alerts instantly reach administrators and responders.
TOTAL FACILITY COVERAGE
Our network secures every square foot of your property – there are no dead zones. Badges function everywhere.
AUDIO & VISUAL NOTIFICATION
Facility-wide alerts communicate emergency information using colored strobe lights, desktop alerts, and intercom integration.
LOCATION ACCURACY
Our innovative technology determines the location of the alert, down to an individual room.
EASE OF INSTALLATION
Solutions installed with no alterations to physical structures or electrical wiring are required.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert vs Mobile Apps
CrisisAlert eliminates vulnerabilities related to app-only solutions and enables rapid incident response to every scenario.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
CrisisAlert In Action
Our badge-based panic alarm is making headlines for the simplicity and reliability of the incident response solution.
Effective Strategies for Retaining Qualified Teachers
Districts can improve teacher retention rates by ensuring teacher autonomy and safety with mobile panic buttons like CrisisAlert.
Examining Emergency Response Solutions Post-Uvalde
CrisisAlert eliminates communication vulnerabilities and enables rapid incident response, improving outcomes and saving lives.
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